Automatic connector and disconnector for grips of cable railways



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-,Sheet 1.

W. H. PAINE'. AUTOMATIC CONNECTOR AND DISCONNEGTOR FOR GRIPS 0P CABLERAILWAYS. N0. 296,606. Patented Apr. 8, 1884.

6am! J (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. PAINE. AUTOMATIG CONNECTOR AND DISGONNEUTOR FOR GRIPS 0F CABLERAILWAYS.

Pawniea Apr. 8, 1; 84.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

WILLIAM H. PAINE, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATiC CONNECTOR AND D ISCONNECTOR FOR GRIPS F CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,606, dated April 8,1884-.

Application filed November 1), 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY PAINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the State of New York, haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Means for Automatically Connecting andDisconuecting the Gripping Mechanism and the Cable of Cable Railways, ofwhich the following isa specification.

My invention consists of levers and rods so pivoted and arranged thatthey will, when the car is started, automatically draw the sheaves ofthe grip together, lock them in position, and clutch the cable, and bymeans of another lever trip and disengage the former from their lockedposition, thereby releasing the grip and cable, as hereinafter morefully described.

My present invention is to be taken in connection with my applicationsfor Letters Patent, Serial Nos. 105,235 and 105,236,filed August 31,1883.

Pivoted to and connecting the outer ends of the levers for operating thegripping mechanism is a bar arranged so as to slide in a rigid bearingor bearings, and provided with a shoulder for engaging with and lockingan arm attached to one of the rigid bearings aforesaid, whereby when thebar and operating-levers are drawn forward and the gripping sheavesbrought into contact with the cable the arm will drop behind theshoulder of the bar and automatically lock the grip. For accomplishingthis result automatically, I provide upon the hot- 'tom of the car andextending downward therefrom two levers connected together by means of atogglejoint, and provided with a rod extending to the operating-leversof the grip, and so arranged that one or the other of saiddownwardly-extending levers may be tripped at a suitable point near thecommencement of the route by contact with a block placed upon the bed ofthe track or other suitable means. This double lever and toggle joint ispeculiarly adapted to cable-railway routes-where the cars are run backand forward without turning them at the terminals of the line. Theirarrangement is such that when the car is given a preliminary movementone of these levers, coming into contact with the block, will, by themotion of the car, draw the grip together. When returning, and the caris moving in the opposite direction, the other lever is adapted tooperate in a like manner by means of the toggle-joint aforesaid. Pivotcdto the locking-arm, and provided with a cross-piece and lugs for ridingupon the sliding bar, is a vertical leverextending downward, but in adifferent plane to those above mentioned. This lever is also adapted toengage with a block or other projection upon the bed of the track fortripping the locking mechanism and .libcrating the grip. This lever, byvirtue of the cross-piece and logs similarly disposed upon both sides,will operate the same with the car going in either direction. Cordsextending into the interior of the car, and also to the front and rear,may be provided to operate this tripping device by hand, if desirable. Aspring for Withdrawing the sliding bar, when it has been released, isprovided at its farther end.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents aplan view of the grip and the connecting anddisconnecting mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is aside elevation, showing the position of parts when the cable is gripped.Fig. 4 is the same when the cable is running loose.

The gripping rollers or sheaves 1 1 are journaled betweena pair oflevers, 2 2, and suspended from the bottom of the car in position toengage the cable 3. Fulcrumed to the ends of the levers 2 are levers 4.,pivoted at 5 to a connectingbar, 7, which is bolted to the ends of thelevers 2. 9 9 are jointed locking-levers fulcrumed to the levers 2 2" at10 10, respectively, and carrying shoes 9 9, bearing outward against theinside of the rims of the grip-rollers 1 1, which are made dish-shaped,permitting the bent levers 9 9 and the shoes 9 9 to work within them.Bolted to the locking-lever 9 is a connecting-bar, 11, pivoted at to abent lever, 15, whose shorter end is fulcrumed at 16 to a similar bentlever, 16, whose shorter end is fulcrumed at 16 to the otherlockinglever, 9. The longer ends of the levers 15 16 are connected tothe oppositely moving-portions of an endless rope, which is coiled ateach end of the car around a drum mounted on the lower end of thehand-brake staff, whereby the ends of the levers 15 16 are made toapproach or recede from each other, as fully described in theapplication above re ferred to.

To the outer end of the shorter one of the connecting-bars 7 and anintermediate point of the longer one is attached a connecting-bar, 4,and to the extremity of the longer one of these levers 7 isattached asecond bar or rod, 4", running to a lever, 20, suspended from thecar-frame.- The lever 20 is provided with a rigid arm, 20, and isconnected by means of a link, 21, to an arm, 22, which forms a rigidportion of a lever, 22, connected to and suspended from the car frame ina similar manner to the lever 20. The lever 20 is also provided with asuitable number of holes, 20, for adjusting and regulating itsconnection and relation to the bar 4. Upon the bed of the track and atboth ends of the line are placed blocks 28, sufficiently elevated toengage with the levers 20 and 22. It will be seen that no matter inwhich direction the car is moving the aforesaid blocks will engage withthe levers, and thereby draw them to a vertical position in relation tothegrip and bring the sheaves into contact with the cable. The bar 4 isprovided with a spring, 4 for withdrawing and throwing the sheaves apartwhen liberated. This spring bears at its inner end against a rigidprojecting piece, 4, which is attached at its inner end to the car-frameor any suitable non-moving portion of the grip. In this rigid bearingthe connecting-bar 4 slides. Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to 4 isa locking-bar, 23. Pivoted to the inner end of this bar is a verticallever, 24, extending above and below the bar 4, and provided with across-piece having lugs 24", which extend over and ride upon the saidbar 4. The locking-bar 23 is provided with a shoulder, 25, and the lever4 with a stop or lug, 26. Cords 27 also connect the vertical trippinglever 24 with the front, rear, and interior of the car for operating thetrip by hand, if neoessary. A block, 28, upon the bed of the track isadapted to ver 24.

It will be seen by the above that as the car is leaving a station on adowngrade track,and the lever 20 comes in contact with the block28, thegripping-sheaves Will be drawn together by means of the intermediatemechanism. In

automatically trip the lereturning, the car then moving in the opblock28, will, by virtue of the lugs 24" and their supporting cross-piece 24riding upon the bar 4, elevate the lever 23 and disengage the lugs 25and 26, thereby permitting the spring 4 to expand and, through themedium of rod 4", draw the free end of the rods 4 forward, whereby thefulcrums of the rods 4 and 7 are moved out of alignment, and, if thebrakes are ofl, the levers 2 2 permitted to separate anddraw thegripping-rolls from contact with the cable.

Although I have shown but one form of this automatic connector anddisconnectorI con template various modifications adapted to cars ofdifferent construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the gripping device of a cable railway, ofsuitable leversfor opening and closing said grip,and suitable contactblocks or posts placed at desired points along the route and'adapted toengage with and operate the respective levers, in the man ner and forthe purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the gripping mechanism of a cable railway, thevertical levers suspended from the car, pivoted to each other, andhaving means of connection with the grip and adapted to operate,substantially as described,when the car is given apreliminary movement.

3. In combination with the gripping mechanism of a cable railway andmeans for automatically drawing the sheaves of the grip together, alocking device adapted to hold them in contact with the cable,substantially as described.

4. In combination with the gripping mechanism and means forautomatically applying and locking the same, the tripping device forliberating the grip, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the gripping mech anism and means forautomatically applying the same, the arm'23, having a shoulder, 25,adapted to drop behind thestop 26 of the bar- 4 and to lock the sheavesin position, as described.

6. In combination With the gripping mechanism and means forautomatically applying and locking the same, the tripping-lever 24,pivoted to the locking-arm 23, and having a cross-piece, 24, and lugs24, the whole adapted to trip anddisconnect thelock-ing mechanism andrelease the grip,substantially as described.

W. H. PAIN E.

Witnesses:

HERBERT KNIGHT, O. P. QUINTARD.

